Amateur Night
by lawless
Summary: An up-and-coming streetfighter is advised by a match-fixer to throw a bout. When he not only refuses but also gives the reigning champion of the underground streetfighting games the beating of his life, he barely escapes with his life and soon finds himself on the run from both the match-fixer and his yakuza goons.
1. Chapter 1

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

Outside was eerily quiet. Only the distant sound of traffic and a neighbor's dog barking down the street could be heard. Since the fire exit down the hallway outside was out of the question, they would have to find another way out.

Sagara Sanosuke closed the door silently and looked around the tiny one-room apartment. He spotted the glass windows that led to a small ledge that served as a window garden for those tenants that are so inclined. Figuring that the next adjoining rooms had the same feature, he crossed the room in a rush and went out through the windows. He took a moment to confirm his belief before he turned and offered a hand out to his companion.

Footsteps. Their pursuers were moving up the stairs.

"We'll have to jump over to the other side," Sano told Megumi.

"What?" She stared at the window garden of the next apartment. It was at least five feet away. "Are you crazy? No." She shrank away from his proffered hand.

"Yes," he insisted. "I'll go first. Then, you jump. I'll catch you."

Somewhere behind them, a door was being forced open. There was a scream from one of the tenants and then a harsh shout. The muffled sound of a blunt object hitting something soft. More footsteps.

Sano was raising himself up on the iron railings. He swung his arm back and forth before he leapt and caught the rails on the other side with both hands. For a moment, he hung suspended some twenty feet above the ground. Then, he pulled himself up easily and made it safely on the window garden, stepping on some plant pots along the way.

Next was Megumi. She stared nervously at the ground and sure death if she missed.

"Come on," Sano said, holding out his arms.

Reluctantly, she stood up on trembling legs.

"Don't look down," he advised.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's going to fall to their death or a lifetime of disability," she muttered as she assumed the best position to make a huge leap. "If my underwear turns you on, that's your problem."

And then she jumped.

Sano caught her, issuing a grunt as soon as he felt her weight tug at his arms. One of her hands started to slip out of his. Megumi let out a tiny scream.

"I got you," he said through gritted teeth. Using his legs to anchor himself, he slowly pulled her up.

"Oh god, I'm going to die," Megumi kept whispering as she tried to get a foothold. The high heels made it difficult.

"Shut up. You're okay," he told her in a harsh tone. "Put your right foot over there," he said indicating the protruding water pipe in the corner.

Megumi did as told, ripping her skirt in the process. Without giving this a single thought, she pushed herself up, using the water pipe as leverage, at the same time that Sano pulled. The ordeal lasted for about a minute. Afterward, Megumi sat awkwardly on the railing with Sano standing between her legs, facing her, his hands still around her waist. They took a moment to catch their breaths, steady their pulse rates.

Then, Sano looked up, grinning. "I never figured you for white lace."

Megumi merely glared at him and said, "Oh, shut up."

In a moment, he helped her down and then turned to the next window garden. "Hold on. We're not done yet." They still had five more window gardens to navigate before they were home-free.

Megumi followed the direction of his gaze and made a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a grunt. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Alright," Sano just said, ignoring her comment. "Same ol' same ol.' Try not to make a sound this time, doctor lady."

By the time they reached the fourth one, the whole thing had become almost routine and Megumi felt like there was not much difference between her and a monkey expertly swinging from tree to tree. Sano jimmied the lock on the windows of the fifth apartment and cautiously climbed inside.

The room was deserted. But that didn't mean it would be for long. He glanced back at Megumi and mouthed for her to follow him. She did, gingerly sidestepping the empty beer cans and instant noodle cups on the floor. Sano was standing next to the door and he motioned for her to stay behind cover as he carefully opened the door just a crack.

The first thing he saw was an overwhelming array of bright colors – tracksuits. Fudosawa's men. They were in the process of breaking open the door to the farthest room where he and Megumi just came from. There were two stairways: one on the far side of the hallway where their pursuers were standing and the other was just a few steps away from the room they busted.

"We can make a run for it," Sano said, turning to Megumi. Then, he looked down at her feet. Particularly the kind of shoes she was wearing. "Take those off," he ordered.

"But they're Prada," she protested.

"For god's sake," he started.

"Fine, dammit!" She whispered harshly as she took off first one shoe and then the other. But instead of completely discarding them, she held them close to her chest.

Sano rolled his eyes, and then told her to run on his mark.

"One."

Fudosawa's men finally succeeded in breaking the door open.

"Two."

They started filing inside the room one by one.

"Three."

As soon as the last one disappeared inside, Sano pushed the door wide open and stepped out.

"They're not in here!" One of Fudosawa's men shouted. "Check outside!"

Sano grabbed Megumi's arm, whispering lowly, "Run."

"There they are! After them!"

The whole thing went by in a blur.

Megumi went stumbling along, conscious only of Sano's back before her and Fudosawa's men behind them. Her knees were water. She felt faint, a looseness to the bowels. She was certain her brain was detached from her body. She did what she was told, allowed herself to be herded down the stairwell, pulled, pushed into a stolen car.

And then, it all happened at once. No sequence. One minute, Sano was backing the car up, bumping into some garbage bins sitting at curbside. And then the next instant, he was shouting for her to "Get down!"

A shot rang out. Megumi ducked as Sano stepped on the gas and accelerated. The inertia forced her back against her seat. She looked up then and saw a lone man, wearing shiny, shark-skin suit, calmly kneeling down. He was holding something up in front of him. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw that the black thing was actually a gun and it was pointed straight at her.

Sano reached across and forced her head down at the same time he made a sharp left with the car. Megumi covered her ears as shots were fired, shattering the windshield and showering them both with broken glass. Now there were yells, shouts. Pedestrians scattering on the street in panic. Squeal of breaks as cars pulled up, drivers ducking down out of sight. There was a great blaring of horns, a momentary traffic jam at the corner, then more screams and shrieked curses.

Sano never eased down on the accelerator and kept his eyes straight on the road. Megumi looked back. She saw more of their pursuers emerge from the hotel. She thought she saw two cars pull up but Sano made another quick turn, disappearing out of sight. He did not let up on their speed even as they ended up in Tokyo's winding backstreets and Megumi was secretly relieved. Never mind if he was driving like a maniac.

It was only when they emerged out of the city's general hubbub into a quieter neighborhood that Megumi began to think they might actually make it.

"You hurt?" Sano asked.

"I'm fine," she answered. "You?"

He breathed sharply through his teeth. "The son of a bitch got me."

"What?" She said in alarm, glancing at him. She immediately saw the dark stain on his left shoulder where a bullet had gone through.

* * *

 _1\. Gunshots and Prada_

* * *

 **AN** This is a re-upload of a fic I posted a while ago. A little edits here and there, a little tightening of dialogue. I missed these two. Hope you enjoy!

To anybody who has read and saved my old SanoxMeg fic, Half a House, I lost my original draft and I'd like to have a copy. Pls PM me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

The crowd was getting louder. Inside the locker room, Sagara Sanosuke was warming up by himself, trying to stay focused when a knock at the door made him pause. "Yeah?" He said, without turning.

"Time for your pre-bout check-up," a familiar voice said, and he glanced over to find a pretty, dark-haired woman walking in, carrying a black physician's pouch.

"Hey, doc," Sano greeted, grabbing a towel from his locker. He wiped his face with it, then threw on a thin, white vanity robe over his shoulders.

The ringside physician laid out her things on the bench and waited for Sano to join her. "Ready when you are," she said, taking this moment to place the stethoscope around her neck.

"How's the crowd outside?" Sano asked by way of a conversation as he sat next to her. As she leaned in to take his blood pressure, he caught a whiff of her perfume: a wild, intensive fusion of rose and honey blended with a hint of sandalwood.

Her name was Takani Megumi. He met her over three years ago when he first exploded into the scene as a brash, largely untrained streetfighter who somehow defeated the older, more experienced fighter, Shikijou. Megumi was a ringside physician, whose job was to make sure the fighters were in their top form during matches. She was beautiful but she also worked for Takeda Kanryuu, the man who essentially ran the underground fight scenes. So she was untouchable.

"As usual," she answered. "Loud. Wild. On speed, most likely. Security already threw out five of them for causing a brawl." She took his arm and wrapped the inflatable cuff of the sphygmomanometer around his arm, just above the pulse point of his elbow.

Sano felt the cold touch of the stethoscope on his skin, delicate fingers cupping his arm. Megumi pumped the valve several times then waited a few seconds before releasing the air, eyes steady on the gauge. Another few seconds passed and then she removed the cuff from around his arm and jotted something down on the chart.

Next, Megumi put the earpieces of the stethoscope to her ear and placed the bell to Sano's chest. She listened for a few seconds while glancing at her watch. She told Sano to take deep breaths and he did as told. She looked up and caught Sano staring at her. She arched a brow and asked, "Nervous?"

"About the fight? Nah." He grinned.

Megumi removed the earpiece and jotted something on her chart once again. "Forty beats a minute," she muttered.

"Is that normal?"

"You're definitely not nervous," she answered, smirking. She took out a penlight and gestured for him to lean closer.

"Funny, I'm usually nervous around doctors."

"Is that so?" Megumi smirked as she performed a pupil examination on him.

"Especially the pretty ones," Sano continued.

Megumi smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, so you don't think I'm pretty?"

"No, I think you're gorgeous," Sano said quickly without thinking.

Megumi paused, then said: "Open wide," as she checked his mouth next.

The rest of the physical examination occurred in silence. When it was done, Sano started to stand up but Megumi said, "One last thing." She took out a plastic cup with cover from a test kit and handed it him.

Sano glanced at her askance.

"New requirement," she said.

"Yeah, right. I bet the other guy is pumped full of PEDs," he scoffed but took the cup anyway. He walked towards the small toilet found at the back of the locker room. "I mean, did you even give him this test?" He called from the half-open door of the toilet.

"A lot of people are rooting for you, Sano," was her only reply.

Sano stalked back to her with the cup now filled with warm liquid.

"Well, that was fast," she commented when she saw him appear. Her lips curved up in innuendo. "I hope you're not always that fast?"

"You wish," he only said, handing her the cup.

Megumi chuckled as she took the cup with gloved hands. Placing it on the small table in front of her, she opened a fresh packet of strips from her pouch and prepared to administer the test.

The urine test was qualitative; it would only give a positive or negative result but would not indicate the level of drugs or alcohol in Sano's system. He knew this because once, Megumi launched into a lengthy and detailed explanation of the whole thing for the sole purpose of aggravating the shit out of him. It worked, but it did take his mind off the things that were bothering him at the time.

While they waited for the results – it ran anywhere from five to ten minutes – Sano studied Megumi's face, finally observing, "You look tired."

The unwarranted statement broke the brief lull that had settled over them. She slid her gaze to his and gave something like a genuine smile. "Haven't been sleeping well."

"Something bothering you?" He asked, trying not to sound too concerned.

She adopted his blasé attitude and leaned her head back to rest against the metal doors of the lockers. "Hm," she only said, still holding his gaze.

The fight wasn't until an hour.

"I meant it," Sano said quietly.

"What?"

"You know," he said, flashing a white grin.

"You're an idiot," she just said.

Sano smiled and closed his eyes. Even though he was coming into the ring a virtual amateur, and therefore the underdog, he was pretty confident he could win. What he lacked in experience, he made up for with momentum. All of his matches – all eleven of them, spread out over a three-year period, leading up to the championship had been knock-outs.

When Sano came into the street-fighting scene about three years ago, he was completely unknown. Swiftly but steadily, he'd built a reputation for himself, taking down good fighters one after the other until he became someone worthy enough to challenge for the belt. It wasn't going to be easy, that much he knew. The reigning champion, Anji, was a big, hulking man who'd seen more matches than Sano had in terms of years. He was also taller than Sano, with a longer reach, heavier muscles and a positively brutal face. In contrast, Sano was lean (almost too lean) and looked fresh-faced despite the beard he was trying to grow.

"If I win, will you let me buy you a drink?" He asked, slanting Megumi a goofy grin. He did not know where he got the confidence. Must be the adrenaline.

She arched an eyebrow. "You know the rules," she reminded him.

"One drink hardly qualifies for rule-breaking. Besides," he whispered conspiratorially, "I won't tell if you don't."

Megumi's mouth curved up into an amused smirk. She started to say something but was interrupted by a beeping sound. She checked the test kit; the results were clean.

"I could have told you that," Sano muttered.

Megumi returned the kit to its box and threw away the used strips. She put everything back to her pouch and then she stood up. "Well, I'm done here." She was on her way to the door when she turned back at the last minute, her face serious. "Listen, Sano," she started and Sano glanced up, detecting something in her tone.

At that moment, the door to the locker room banged open and in came a man in a light, pin-striped suit, a red tie and white, pointed shoes. Although dressed impeccably, there was something sleazy about his character. He was flanked on each side by two men – one small with pointy features, the other a large tub of lard.

"Sano, my boy, how's it going?" The man greeted, spreading his mouth in a wide, social smile, revealing a row of thin, yellowing teeth.

Sano recognized Takeda Kanryuu immediately. He was the money. Hustler, really, but no one was nit-picking. Although not a gang-member himself, he was well-oiled enough to be able to afford a small troop of bodyguards who did his every bidding. Takeda ran this joint, along with other business establishments of varying shades of legality. He turned to look at Megumi, still smiling and speaking in that egregious voice of his. "Megumi, I see you're still here. Didn't think the test would take that long. Should I be jealous?" He asked coyly.

Ignoring the insinuation, Megumi stepped over to him, laying a hand on his chest in that familiar way. "I gave him the full physical like you told me to."

"Ah, the full physical," Takeda said and glanced knowingly at his bodyguards, his mouth lifted in a sneer. "It's a good thing I'm not a jealous man."

Behind him, Sano could hear the sniggers from the two bodyguards – Besshimi and Hyottoko, Sano remembered their names. Megumi's face visibly reddened but she held her tongue and looked down. Sano did not realize it but he was clenching his hands so tight, his knuckles were turning white. "What do you want?" He asked, sending a glare at Takeda.

It was not the sort of attitude that Takeda was used to. Certainly, not from a prizefighter. He stared at Sano, clearly dumbfounded. "I see you've got a lot of fight in you," he said after some length. "I guess, what people say about you is true." He slowly circled Sano, looking him up and down. When he spoke again, it was with great affectation, "A _pity_."

Takeda gestured with his hand and the smaller bodyguard, Besshimi, grabbed Megumi's arm and escorted her out of the locker room.

"No, I'm not bothered by something as pedestrian as feelings, Sagara- _kun_ ," Takeda said without being asked, "although, I'm sure you agree, that Megumi is extremely fuckable." He paused to leer, then: "No, I'm here to talk about business with you, if you're so inclined."

Sano did not let up his glare. His upper lip had lifted – the beginnings of a snarl. "What do you want?" He repeated.

Hyottoko, the other bodyguard, grabbed a stool and placed it in front of Takeda, who sat on it and crossed his legs in front of him. "I don't have to tell you how important this night is, Sagara- _kun_. For me. I mean, I'm sure it's important to you, too, but, well," he sighed as he slowly removed his gloves one by one. Once, he was finished, he laid them out on his lap neatly and leaned forward, black eyes gleaming at Sano. "You seem like a smart guy. I think you understand what's at stake here. The crowd loves you – hell, we love you, don't we?" He turned to his bodyguards. Besshimi walked in just at that moment and he and Hyottoko nodded vigorously.

"But this championship, well, it's bigger than us," Takeda continued. "A lot of important folks are interested in how this fight ends. The anticipation, can you feel it? The excitement. And you've taken us this far, Sagara- _kun._ Good on you, buddy."

Takeda smiled, suddenly quiet.

Sano furrowed his brows, not sure where the hustler was going with this. He sensed menace in each line being delivered but could not be certain. So he waited.

"That's enough," Takeda finally spoke. "That's as far as you go."

It took a full minute for Sano to realize what he was saying. And when he did, he kept his temper in check. He whispered coldly, "And if I don't?"

Takeda merely smiled, his eyes black with rage. "I'll break a rib for each round you stay up. Then, I'll let Megumi fix you just so, and break them again."

* * *

 _2\. Séduction et une menace_

* * *

 **AN** This is a re-upload of a fic I posted a while ago. This fic was unfinished when I first published it here and I'm going to finish it this time around. Just needed to tighten up some of the earlier chapters. This also doubles as a way for me to get into the groove of writing this pairing. It's been a while and I miss them.

p.s. To anybody who has read and saved my old SanoxMeg fic, Half a House, I lost my original draft and I'd like to have a copy. Pls PM me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

The bleeding wouldn't stop. Megumi told him to apply more pressure over the wound but it was a little difficult to do that with only one hand. "We've got to get you to a hospital," she suggested, glancing at him worriedly.

"No," Sano quickly put down the idea. That was the last thing they needed. The staff at the hospital would be obligated to report a gunshot wound and that would mean cops, and Sano was really not up for another run-in with the authorities. "No hospitals," he repeated through gritted teeth.

They spied a drugstore in the corner and with a little maneuvering Sano parked the car in a dark alley lined with trash bins that had become home to a number of stray cats. "We better ditch the car," he said. But as soon as he took that first step out of the vehicle, he felt his world make a three hundred and sixty turn.

Megumi grabbed him before he fell. Her face was so close to his, her irises looked huge. She was saying something. "…you've lost too much blood…. Gotta get that wound fixed…." And then, she was half-dragging, half-carrying him out of that alley.

The people in the street weren't in the least bit curious about them. It was one of the busiest areas in Tokyo and people coming from or going to work battled for space in the sidewalk with hawkers and promo girls. The two of them were just another drunk, young couple looking for a sexy nighttime hookup in the many love hotels nearby.

And a love hotel was exactly where Megumi brought Sano, and then they were standing there at the lobby with the tinted front doors behind them, waiting for the vending machine to give them their key. It was almost twelve midnight and most of the rooms were occupied. The only room left was the 'Hello Kitty' room, which – Sano laughed. Even Megumi had to bite her lip at the unintentional humor.

Once they were inside the room, there was no time to examine their surroundings. Sano lay down on the Hello Kitty bed with the ribbon-shaped headboard, shallow of breath and in a haze of pain. He was spiraling down to unconsciousness until Megumi slapped him back to wakefulness.

"Sano, listen to me," she said, her tone urgent though her face remained a mask. She was hovering just above him, mere inches away, so close he could see the beads of sweat forming a line above her lips. He had the strangest urge to lick them dry. Strange, because he could well be on his way to dying. Even in this moment of extreme stress, he still found the doctor incredibly attractive.

She was speaking to him as though he were a child, "I need you to keep pressure over your wound to slow the bleeding until I come back. Can you manage?"

"You're leaving?" He gasped. Megumi had already grabbed one of his hands to place it above the torn remains of his shirt over the open wound on his chest area. His hand felt sticky and warm from his own blood.

"I'll be back before you know it," Megumi said in response, reaching for her handbag beside Sano's head. "I'm just going to the drug store we passed earlier to get supplies. Wait for me, you hear?"

Sano gazed at her feverishly, swallowed and started to open his mouth. "Doc, I need to tell you something…." Whatever it was he wanted to say was muffled by soft lips suddenly covering his. The kiss was, as kisses went, horrible; it was cold and precise and tasted like the metallic tang of a stethoscope pressed on bare skin. When it was over, Sano stared at her in stupefaction.

"Don't you dare die on me, Sano," she whispered, and then she left.

Sano lost awareness of how long she was gone. He was weaving in and out of consciousness and he'd lost count of time. In the back of his mind, he knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes but it felt like hours before she finally came back. His relief at the sight of her standing in the doorway was physical. He was glad for the low lighting the room provided to mimic the atmosphere of romance; she didn't see his expression as she came in.

Megumi had with her a small plastic bag filled with fresh bandages, a bottle of antiseptic, syringe, a spool of thread, some water, a pair of large tweezers and a pocket knife. After raising a barely conscious Sano to an upright position, she immediately got down to business. She cleaned the wound as best as she could to better survey the damage. She'd already figured that the bullet missed his lung and now she saw that it was lodged somewhere below his clavicle, mere inches from his heart. With penlight between her teeth, Megumi made a small diagonal cut across the wound with the pocket knife and extracted the bullet with the pair of large tweezers. There was no anesthesia. Needless to say, Sano was in agony until he finally, mercifully fainted near the end of the ordeal. Megumi stitched him back together with seamless concentration.

The entire procedure lasted half an hour. The patient slept for another half hour before being rudely roused with two quick, successive slaps to the cheek. "Wake up, we have to go," Megumi barked lowly.

The night was long. It was still dark when two figures, looking the worse for wear, emerged from that love hotel a block away from the drug store. One of them was apparently nursing a terrible hangover, the way he was barely hanging on to his female companion, whose skirt was torn at one side. It must have been quite the night for this particular couple. They appeared to hesitate, looking up and down the street. The few stragglers left from the night before paid them no mind. After a moment, they started walking east towards the nearest train station.

* * *

 _3\. Doctor, doctor, I am sick._

* * *

 **AN** Thanks to the reviewers, reader and WaterInk. Hope you stay long enough for the new chapters. To the new readers, enjoy!

p.s. To anybody who has read and saved my old SanoxMeg fic, Half a House, I lost my original draft and I'd like to have a copy. Pls PM me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

Anji put out a hand and slammed it hard against Sano's chest to stop him. In a split second, Sano twisted his right shoulder into Anji's arm, blocking the blow, and twisted back to crash the heel of his palm against the tender space just below the nose of the big man. Anji bellowed in a rage as his two front teeth were cracked at the roots. Both hands went to his face to try to hold back the pain. Sano's momentum had turned him sideways to Anji, but he quickly spun back to face him, smashing both hands into the man's chest and shoved him into the metal bars behind them. The impact pushed the wind out of the big man's lungs, and he sagged against the makeshift cage.

Sano savagely kicked the man's feet from under him, and he went down hard on his tail bone. Anji's head pitched forward and before he could raise it up, Sano grabbed the man's lower lip with his right hand and pushed his head back hard against the metal bars with his left. Sano let out an angry snarl.

The crowd out in the arena was seething. Fueled by adrenaline, they began to chant in unison, "Go, go, go, go…."

Sano was used to the noise by now. He let the energy flow through him as the crowd worked themselves up to a fever pitch. Anji grabbed Sano's wrist to hold him so he couldn't tear his lip off. Tears of pain and defiance gathered in his eyes. He bared his teeth, showing the bloody gap where his two front teeth should have been, and hissed at Sano.

The big man's words were drowned out by the crowd's shout for blood but Sano remembered. Through the haze of red that clouded his vision, he saw Takeda Kanryuu past the metal bars that caged the two fighters in, past the flailing arms of the increasingly wild crowd, and remembered to be afraid. Takeda could do anything to him: break his ribs like he threatened, leave him for dead in a ditch somewhere, and no one would even think to question. But the thing Sano was most afraid of, even more than dying itself, was others' pity. If, in his cruelty, Takeda allowed him to survive, it would be the height of misery. Sano had seen these men, these so-called survivors, helpless, broken, bone-tired of living, just waiting to die. Takeda and his _yakuza_ friends could do that to a man.

 _'A lot of people are rooting for you.'_ Megumi's words came rushing back to him, followed by Takeda's stilted instructions: _'That's enough. That's as far as you go.'_

Sano paused in his movements, staring down at his opponent. He sensed a stirring from the corners of his eyes. Takeda Kanryuu, seated in the VIP section, was gesturing something. Sano turned his head slightly to look. Takeda was holding his fisted right hand against his knee, thumb extended and pointed downwards.

Sano recognized the signal; he was going to fall. Defeat was a bile taste in his mouth. He swept his gaze around the watching arena for the last time, searching and finding Megumi, her slender frame nearly dwarfed by the tub of lard that was Hyottoko shadowing her from behind. Their eyes connected for the briefest of seconds; it was long enough for Sano to change his mind.

He refused to fall.

Sano looked down at his opponent and saw that he was trying to say something. He loosened his grip slightly, but it was a mistake. The pain and the rage turned Anji into a formidable foe. Sano was straddling him as he sat against the metal bars and the big man had worked up enough leverage to kick his shin up into Sano's groin. Sano managed to half-block the kick, avoiding contact in that extremely vulnerable body part, and Anji connected with the side of his right knee instead. The pain was instant and debilitating. Sano's knee crumbled under him and he almost fell to the floor.

The crowd jeered.

Anji swung a wild roundhouse blow with his right hand and caught Sano on the side of his head. Sano was knocked away from him, but Anji paid the price because Sano kept most of his grip on the big man's lip. The skin at the right corner of his mouth split apart, tearing a gash in his cheek almost three inches long.

The blow shoved Sano down and away, but Anji was hurting too much to get on his feet before Sano did. Sano had just enough time to clear his head before Anji got into a crouch and charged at him with the intention of slamming him into the metal bars. Instead of trying to block the attack, Sano stepped to one side and used all his strength to grab the back of Anji's thick neck and shove him in the same direction he was charging.

The combined force of Sano's shove and his own rush toward Sano sent the big man into one side of the metal cage with the force of a car accident. He smashed his left hand trying to block his impact, broke his cheekbone, and cracked three vertebrae in his neck as he slid down to the floor in an unconscious heap.

The flashpoint had passed. The crowd dropped into a stunned silence. Sano staggered back two steps from the fallen warrior. His left ear rang from Anji's blow; his right knee throbbed with pain. He tested his knee and found that it supported his weight and moved normally. He flexed his hand. It was hard to open and close, but nothing was damaged. He took a deep breath and felt a wave of utter exhaustion wash over him as the adrenaline began to wear off.

The referee was mouthing words at him. He nodded he understood even as he whipped his gaze around, past the cheering crowd, to that spot in the VIP section. Megumi's seat was empty. He searched for her in the crowd but all he saw was Takeda Kanryuu standing in a rigid stance. The imposing figure of Fudosawa, local _yakuza_ boss, dressed in a shiny, shark-skin suit was talking to him but Takeda did not appear to be listening. He was staring at Sano with death in his eyes.

The referee grabbed Sano's hand and raised it above their heads, declaring him the winner and new champion. His victory complete, it was time to outwit fate. Already he spied Takeda's bodyguards moving to intercept Sano on his way to his room. His fans were crowding around him, patting him on his back, asking for his autograph, unintentionally providing a nearly impenetrable human shield between Sano and his would-be assailants.

Sano had just closed the door behind him and slammed the lock home when he realized he wasn't alone in his locker room. Standing by the window was a pale-faced, panic-stricken Megumi, clutching a huge handbag to her chest.

"Megumi?" He had to ask because her presence there was totally unexpected and her very obvious anxiety was compounding his.

"What are you doing here?" She asked sharply.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Instead of answering, she shoved past him but Sano grabbed her arm, making her drop the bag and spill all the cash and casino chips inside.

Silence.

Sano stared at Megumi in stupefaction.

"It's not what you think," she said after a beat.

Sano stooped down to pick up a bundle of crisp notes, still wrapped in money binders stamped with the name of the bank. "What the fuck, doc?" He finally exclaimed, holding up the offending object. "Did you just steal the pot money?"

 _"It's not what you think, okay?!"_ Megumi exclaimed.

* * *

 _4\. It's all going down._

* * *

 **AN** After I finish this, I will work on all the other unfinished works, like Chasing Lights, En and Rhapsody in Rurouni. I do go back to my old stories from time to time to see what made some of them work and what didn't and try to improve. I just haven't had the luxury of time to work on them. This year, I'm trying to get the creative juices flowing even though I'm busy with work as ever.

p.s. To anybody who has read and saved my old SanoxMeg fic, Half a House, I lost my original draft and I'd like to have a copy. Pls PM me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

Fudosawa's men had him. They were questioning him about Megumi, and when he refused to answer them, they became very angry and put him in a room by himself and turned up the heat until the room was boiling hot. When it became unbearable, they dropped the temperature down, until icicles began to form on the walls.

Sano pushed his way up through the freezing cold and opened his eyes. He was on a bed, shivering uncontrollably. There was a blanket beneath him, but he did not have the strength to get under it. His clothes were soaked through, and his face and neck were wet.

 _I'm going to die here_.

 _Here?_

 _Where?_

He remembered the red symbol in the shape of a pig that greeted them at the entrance. _A guesthouse. I'm in the Akabeko Guesthouse._ He wondered how long he had been in this bed. He lifted his head to glance at the clock on the wall, but the numbers were blurred. He was seeing everything double. There were two beds in the small room and two dressers and four chairs. The shivering stopped, and his body was burning up. He needed to open a window, but he was too weak to move. The room was freezing again.

He was back in the arena, locked in a metal cage, pounding his opponent with his fists.

 _You've done it! Ladies and gentlemen, your new champion!_

Takeda's bodyguards were waiting for him. Hyottoko and Besshimi with baseball bats and brass knuckles. Men in neon-colored tracksuits were crowding the hallway.

He was in and out of delirium. Casino chips and crisp cash in money binders spilled onto the cold stone floor. The lone gunman was kneeling on the sidewalk, pointing the muzzle of his gun at them. Sano grabbed Megumi and pushed her to the floor of the car, and his lips were very close to hers, and then they were in his locker room and Megumi was conducting a pre-fight check-up on him. _A lot of people are rooting for you._

 _Good thing I'm not a jealous man,_ Takeda Kanryuu said with a leer.

His body was trembling again, out of control, and he was in a stolen car whirling through a dark alley, and at the end of the alley, he knew he was going to die. His only passenger was Anji. He was angry with him, shaking him and screaming at him.

"Dammit, Sano!" She yelled. "Open your eyes! Look at me!"

With superhuman effort, Sano opened his eyes, and saw Megumi hovering over him. Her face was white as she tried to wake him up. He frowned, wondering why she was there. She left him. She took the money and was gone. He reached up to touch her face. He managed to lift his arm only halfway before it fell back on the bed. "You're a dream," he mumbled.

"You're going to get well, do you hear me?"

It was the last thing Sano remembered before everything went black.

The next day, Sano woke up with a burning feeling in his mouth and throat. Someone cupped his head gently and pressed a cold, wet towel along his cracked lips, providing a little relief. He tried to move his arm but noticed that it was tethered to something. He cracked one eye open to find a needle stuck in one of the veins found in the back of his hand. It was connected to an IV tube running from a bag filled with clear liquid. He studied it for a moment before things clicked into place, and he looked up at the person responsible for nursing him through his infection-induced fever.

"Hey," Megumi greeted, exhaustion audible in her voice. She was seated on a chair next to his bed, hair mussed and clothes rumpled. She looked the worse for wear.

"Hey," he croaked back. "Are you alright?"

"Am I alright?" She repeated in bemusement. Then, instead of answering, she rose and checked his temperature by laying a palm on his forehead. After a beat, she gently brushed his hair back with her fingers. "How are you feeling?"

"Dying," he said with absolute certainty.

She ignored him and just poured water into a glass. "Drink," she ordered.

It took another two days before Sano could move about by himself. Megumi had gone out earlier that morning and was still out. He waited for as long as he could, then he grabbed his white bomber jacket and stalked out. He was starving. He ducked into a soba house filled with salarymen on their lunch hour and was pleasantly surprised to find Megumi at the bar. Beside her were two bags marked with the logos of a nearby convenience store and a pharmacy.

 _"_ Irasshaimase!" A waitress softly greeted, making Megumi turn, her mouth forming an 'O' as soon as she saw him.

"Yo," he said casually as he sauntered towards her.

"So let me repeat your order, Miss," the waiter said, returning the pencil behind his ear while reading from his notepad. "That's one small bowl of tori nanban soba and one large bowl of tsukimi soba, four cans of Sapporo, to go."

"Dine in," Sano butted in.

The waiter glanced at Sano, then looked expectantly at Megumi. Sano was already taking Megumi's bags and walking towards a corner booth that was miraculously vacant. Megumi followed a while later. When she arrived at the booth, he grinned up at her.

"I'm not sure I want lunch," she said.

"That's fine. I can eat for both of us."

"Or company."

"That's fine, too. You can get out."

"Why," she said instead, depositing herself on the seat opposite him, "are you out of bed?"

"You sure you want me to answer that question, doc?" Sano said with a wicked smile. "'Coz I can do so many things with that question."

"I mean, why are you up and about?" She amended.

"Got bored and hungry." He shrugged and realized his mistake a second too late. His face went pale as the pain flashed through his entire system to concentrate on his right shoulder. When it passed, he opened his eyes to find Megumi smirking mockingly.

"How's the shoulder?"

"That hurt like hell, I have to admit," he said weakly.

To his surprise, that drew a chuckle. "You're an idiot."

Their soba bowls arrived just then. Sano picked up his set of hashi, muttered "itadakimasu" and dug in. God, he was starving. From the corners of his eyes, he saw Megumi reach for a can of beer, open it and place it next to Sano. Then she picked up her own set of hashi and started to eat.

* * *

 _5\. Nan to itte orei o moushite yoi ka, kansha no kotoba mo shirimasen._

* * *

 **AN** The title means "I don't know how to express my gratitude."

p.s. To anybody who has read and saved my old SanoxMeg fic, Half a House, I lost my original draft and I'd like to have a copy. Pls PM me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

The incessant ringing of his cellphone told Sano that his escape plan was in position. But Megumi was there, clutching to her chest the black doctor's bag that contained Sano's ticket out of there.

Sano never took his eyes off her. He noticed for the first time that she was dressed casually in faded blue jeans and a dark blue blazer. He didn't think he'd ever seen her without her white lab coat. She looked good enough to make hearts lurch.

"How about we split the money in half?" He negotiated, resolving not to let her beautiful, panicked face affect him.

She didn't answer but her eyes strayed towards the door.

"I wouldn't," Sano warned. He took a step towards her; she clutched the bag tighter.

"If you come any closer, I'll scream," she threatened.

This was getting annoying. "Jesus, doc, do you realize who's coming after you if you take that money?"

" _You_ were going to take it," she pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but –"

"I earned this money."

"No, you didn't. I won that money." He had the black eye and bruises to show for it.

But Megumi kept talking, her eyes flashing. "I spent years working for that – that _monster_. You don't know what I did, how much I loathed myself for it. I _deserve_ this. You – you were going to throw it all away on a rigged match."

"But I didn't, did I?"

They glared at each other, neither one willing to back down. The silence was only interrupted when Sano's cellphone rang again. Swearing lowly, he finally whipped it out of his jacket pocket and placed it to his ear.

"What the fuck is taking you so long?" Tomo, his get-away driver, said over the line. "Look, just grab the cashpot and get outta there! Or I swear, man, if you're not here when the yakuza comes around, I'm leaving you behind."

Somewhere in a narrow back alley lined with garbage bins and broken household appliances, the light brown Galant was parked with its engine still running. Tomo was anxiously waiting for Sano to come out of the fire exit when suddenly, rapid footsteps descended down the metal rungs of the stairs. He sat up in alarm, his hand automatically reaching for the gear-stick, his eyes on the rearview mirror.

In the next instant, there was a thud, followed by another. Voices. Sano appeared on the rearview mirror. He was not alone.

 _Son of a –_ Tomo turned his attention to the road ahead just as Sano came up to the side of the car. Without stopping for breath, he immediately pulled the door open and practically shoved the woman with him into the backseat before hopping in after her. He landed on her with a grunt but got up like nothing happened. He barked:

 _"Drive!"_

The car shot forward, banking slightly to the right and dragging along a garbage can in the process.

" _Christ_ , Sano, Takeda's doctor? _Fucking really?!"_ Tomo said later.

He was weaving the car in and out of traffic. There was no one following them but Tomo was not taking any chances as he made several turns in an attempt to evade any tailgaters. "I mean, what the hell have you gotten me into? Takeda's fucking doctor!" Tomo swore under his breath. "No offense, doc," he added after a moment.

"None taken," Megumi said from her seat at the back. She could not tell apart the men who frequented Takeda's match rings from each other but she assumed Tomo was one of them. Tomo would recognize the ringside physician at these matches.

Beside her, Sano was rolling the window down halfway, allowing a blast of cool wind to dispel the stuffy air inside. "Don't worry. You'll get your cut," he said from over his shoulder.

"I better."

"Wait a minute," Megumi sat up, piqued. She looked accusingly at Sano. "We agreed to half and half. That's what you said."

Sano glanced in her direction. "And half is what you'll get after Tomo gets his cut."

Outrage detonated. "What?! That's not what we agreed!"

Sano did not say anything but Tomo caught his look through the rearview mirror. He stepped on the brakes and all at once the car screeched to a halt.

They were in front of an abandoned warehouse near the docks – Sano and Tomo's designated meeting place should things get royally fucked up. It was a safehouse of sorts. Only the two of them knew about that place.

"One day," Sano said without preamble, looking at Megumi. "That's how long you're gonna last out here by yourself before Takeda or the yakuza finds you. And they _will_ find you. It's what they do best. When they do, they're not gonna negotiate. They force their members to cut off their own fingers for something as minor as snagging cigarette money from sokaiya profits. What do you think they'll do to a non-member who stole the betting pool of a match they purposely rigged?"

"They'll do the same to you," Megumi retorted.

"Sure but see, by this time tomorrow, I'm outta here."

Quietly: "Where are you going?"

"Here and there. I got places." Sano held her gaze.

Even in the dark of the car's interior, he could see she was afraid. Although she never told him how she planned this heist and for how long, he knew it must have taken her a while and a whole lot of courage. Takeda was not an easy man to fool, but Megumi played her part well. So well, in fact, Sano fell for it. If that was not at least admirable, then he did not know what was.

Suddenly, and for the second time that night, Sano felt a twinge. He asked, "What about you? Where are you going?"

She hesitated, then said, "Fukushima."

"Aizu-wakamatsu, is that where you're going?" At her nod, Sano raked his finger through his hair. There was a long pause, and then: "I can take you as far as Koriyama."

From the driver's seat, there was a loud snort.

Sano ignored it though he wondered to himself what the hell was wrong with him. For reasons he did not know, words kept coming out of his mouth. "The easiest way to get there is by Yamabiko. They'll be looking for two people traveling together on a train or a bus. So we'll travel by car."

" _Christ,"_ Tomo muttered under his breath.

"Why are you helping me?" Megumi eyed him speculatively.

Sano sensed the challenge and he resisted the urge to echo her sentiment. Instead, he shrugged before venturing, "Three of us, three shares. We're even as far as I'm concerned."

"Shit," Tomo said.

"Shaddup," Sano told him as he continued to stare at Megumi, silently willing her to refuse his offer. Then he'd have an excuse to drop this right here. Forget the broad. Take the money and get the hell out of there. Nagano, that's where he was going. None of his friends in Tokyo even knew he came from a small farm town in Nagano. The yakuza would never find him there.

"As far as Koriyama?" Megumi finally said and Sano released a breath he did not know he was holding.

He nodded. It was official. He had lost his mind.

"There are a few things I need from my apartment."

"That is a death-wish," Sano pointed out. "It's the first place they'll check."

"You agreed to help me."

"I agreed to take you to Koriyama."

"Exactly."

"Son of a bitch," Tomo only said.

* * *

 _6\. Hard Bargain_

* * *

 **AN** This took a while but here it is. Enjoy!

Oh, and btw, some kind soul (inkyfeather) helpfully pointed me to the wayback machine in order to get back my draft of Half a House. It's a marvelous feature. Thanks for the heads up, inkyfeather.


	7. Chapter 7

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

It was almost midnight by the time they returned to the Akabeko.

The relaxed state of drunkenness that they both had attained had the chief effect of dulling their better judgment. They fell into bed in a tangle of limbs and clothes, laughing over some joke told and forgotten five seconds ago. They shared a pillow, shoulders brushing against each other. Megumi was recalling a time when she first met Takeda Kanryuu. She marveled at how long ago it seemed and cackled at her naiveté. Her hair had gotten to her eyes and Sano reached up to brush the strands away.

Megumi continued to talk. She spoke without emotion. At times, she stopped and waited for a thought or a memory to come to her. Sometimes, it did; sometimes, she just shrugged and said, "I can't remember" or "I don't know." She moved closer to Sano on the bed. He remained motionless even as his breath blew the tiny hairs on her forehead. She was quiet now and he realized that she had fallen asleep.

Her face was inches from his. The perfect nose, the long lashes forming half-moons on pale cheeks, the full lips slightly upturned at the corners – all right there for him to enjoy. He had found himself staring at her several times during the night. Megumi had caught him once or twice but never said anything. They had kissed before. He could still recall the sensation of her lips on his.

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, swallowing. Thinking about tomorrow and the train they had to catch. He had no time to fantasize.

Sometime before dawn, Sano found himself wide awake. Megumi lay next to him, staring. He drew his brows slightly, wondering what was the matter.

Wordlessly, she reached for him and drew his lips to hers.

The kiss was soft, delicate.

Sano instinctively placed his hand on her waist, sliding up as he drew her closer. His wound made itself known by the dull pain radiating from his shoulder but her tongue brushed his bottom lip and he could do little but return her kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. He slipped his leg between hers and slowly drew her shirt up. At the sight of her naked skin under the soft yellow streetlight streaming through the window, he cursed. He was about to lean down and kiss the colored landscape of her ribcage when a sharp pain from his shoulder made him gasp and freeze.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, fingers brushing his brows.

"Yeah," he said, forcing a smile. "I think the painkillers are wearing off."

"Oh."

The disappointment in her voice made him chuckle. "Don't worry. Everything still works," he revealed. "I just need a little help." He wiggled his brows at her.

That drew a smirk. Which grew into a leer. Megumi rose to her knees and slowly pulled her shirt off, inch by slow inch. By the time she had tossed her shirt onto the floor, it was all Sano could do not to pounce and wrest control from her right there and then. Next, without breaking eye contact, she reached back and unhooked her bra, letting the straps slide off, finally baring her proud breasts to him.

"Fuck," Sano could only say.

She smirked, leaning down to brush her lips over his, whispering, "That's the idea."

He discovered she was a one-way lover, sharp and basically concerned only with what she wanted. It was a good thing he wanted what she wanted, too. He held her steady as she rose above him, guiding him to her. Her hair fell like silk down her back and he found himself transfixed.

Megumi rode him at her own leisurely pace, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. She was magnificent, her breasts the perfect round mounds. He ran his hands over their pert peaks, causing her to gasp and arch her back, clutching at him tightly. He thrust up, meeting her hips with his. She moaned at the motion and because they both liked it, he repeated it until her nails dug on his chest and moved faster. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold on to his sanity even as she wreaked havoc in his body. Finally, when it seemed as though he could not take it anymore, she collapsed on his chest, gasping, begging.

With an oath, he flipped them over, shoving one of her legs over his shoulder as he fucked her hard and fast. As his pleasure built towards its peak, instinct took over. Their lips met, parted, met again, their bodies joined at the hip, dancing towards an inevitable crescendo.

Sano knew when it happened for Megumi because she suddenly stilled and tightened around him, making him growl into her ear. And then she was coming around him and the feeling was so incredible, it triggered his own release.

In the aftermath of pleasure, they lay in quiet languor. Megumi was lazily tracing random shapes on his chest while he carefully breathed the scent of her hair.

After a moment, she observed, "It's light out."

He didn't say anything. Her hair smelled like fruit. Raspberries and grapes.

He felt her move. She was using her fingers to comb out the tangles in her hair. As she did, his full bladder began to make itself known. Reluctantly, he untangled himself from the warmth of her body and strode naked across the room.

"Sano, you're bleeding again," she said from behind him.

"Huh?" He looked at her over his shoulder and then at the bloodstains on the sheets on his side of the bed.

She was on her knees in the center of the bed, her hair all mussed up, looking particularly delicious. "Are you going to take a shower?"

"Depends," he answered matter-of-factly. "Are you going to join me?"

That earned him a chuckle. "Come back when you're done. I want to look at your wound."

"Is that all you wanna look at, doc?" He teased.

She gave him a look – one that made lust shoot up his system. "No."

* * *

 _7\. This isn't chocolate boxes and roses._

* * *

 **AN** A short, smutty update.

p.s. With the news about Watsuki's arrest, how are you guys holding up?


	8. Chapter 8

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

From the docks, Sano drove back to the city center, dropping Tomo off at Omote-sando Station along the way before driving for another mile to an urban complex of south-facing apartment houses.

"Five minutes," Sano said, looking straight ahead.

"Come up if I'm not down by then," she answered carelessly.

Sano cursed and was about to call something out but Megumi was already slamming the door on the passenger's side and hurrying up a flight of stairs to a balconied tenement. He exhaled slowly, reminding himself that he volunteered for this. What excuse did he have? He was young, he was foolish, he had rocks for brains.

To avert unwanted attention, Sano turned off the headlights but kept the engine running. He reached for the radio, scanning for police reports, particularly from the Shimbashi area, but there was none. It was a quiet night.

Too quiet.

When five minutes passed and Megumi still did not come back, Sano began to feel agitated. He looked up and down the street, trying to decide if he should go after her. He didn't know which floor she was on but judging by the lit window on the fifth floor, that must be hers. A glimpse of headlights coming in south side. He watched. They disappeared for a moment as the road dipped low and didn't reappear again until much later. The car reached a corner and turned. Just a passing car.

Sano forced himself to relax. But the adrenaline that was still in his system shot up and he decided that the doctor has been gone for too long. He spied a dark corner which seemed to lead into an unused parking lot found in the back of the apartments. He parked right underneath what would be the apartment facing Megumi's across the hallway, away from view of the street out front. Then keeping the keys in the ignition, he hopped out, went round to the front and quietly jogged up the stairs.

Thankfully, Megumi had the sense to answer on the first knock. She had been expecting him and had apparently changed clothes during the interim. Clean clothes, brushed hair, lipstick and blush. Sano scowled, about to say something scathing about her vanity when she interrupted him.

"Good you're here," she said. "You need a disguise and ice on those bruises. You look a mess."

"I'm fine."

She handed him an icebag, told him to hold it to the swollen egg hanging over his right eye. Despite himself, Sano obliged. He watched curiously as Megumi rummaged through her black doctor's bag. She pulled out a bandage cloth, medical tape and a pair of scissors.

"You're a regular medicine cabinet, aren't you?" He blurted out without thinking.

"For a regular idiot?" She quipped back. "There's no medicine for that." She gestured for him to sit down and he did so with great reluctance. After a moment, she observed, "You need a hat to hide that weird hair. It stands out too much."

"What? I do _not_ have weird hair," he retorted with indignation.

"Make-up, powder, hat, that's all. And they won't recognize you."

"Woman, don't you dare come at me with those things," he threatened in desperation.

She cackled in amusement but mercifully left it at that. Instead, she held out her hand for his. Gingerly, Sano gave her his right hand, bruised knuckles and all, and she took them with both of hers. Soft, feather-light touches from soft, feather-light fingers, ghosting over the scraped skin and battered muscles. She cleaned the scrapes with antiseptic while Sano tried not to flinch. When she was finished, she wrapped his hand in bandage cloth secured in place with tape.

"Is it too tight?" She asked as he flexed his fingers.

"Snug but it's okay. I can move and hold stuff." He demonstrated by replacing the hand holding the icebag to his eye.

"Hm," Megumi sounded as she took his other hand and checked it for injury. It was not his dominant hand so it fared better. She bandaged it anyway. "Now, let me see that eye," she said, taking the icebag from his hand.

He barely noticed the swelling and his vision was not impaired in any way. "It looks worse than it feels," he told her reassuringly.

"They always do," she replied. She took out a topical ointment and rubbed a small amount over the swollen spot. She happened to glance down and happened to catch him gazing. It wasn't the first time. She'd noticed him looking a long time ago but apart from these furtive glances and the occasionally charged exchanges at pre-bout check-up, nothing came out of it. He was a fighter. She was his doctor, and she belonged to Takeda.

Now, however, things had changed. "This should relieve some of the pain and keep the swelling at bay," she informed, keeping it cool.

"Thanks," he muttered, swallowing.

Megumi was already taking a step back and replacing the items in her bag. "How's the rest of you?"

Sano cleared his throat and stretched his limbs. "Nothing I'm not already used to. But you're welcome to check." He wiggled his brows at her.

She smirked but added seriously, "You know you can't keep this up, right? Sooner or later, your body will give."

He nodded. "Why d'you think I'm running, doc?"

She let out a mirthless laugh. "'Coz they'd kill you if you didn't?"

"Well, that too," he said, shrugging, mouth curled in a wry grin. "As soon as I threw that punch at Anji, I was a dead man walking." Then he turned to her, asking, "What about you? Why'd you run?"

She was silent as she shoved a few more things into her doctor's bag. Sano remembered her words a while ago. She didn't go into explicit details but she called Takeda "a monster." He decided not to press her for specifics, instead asked her if she had other things to bring.

"No, I sent most of them ahead by post."

Sano paused, looking suddenly alert. Outside in the distance, a dog began barking furiously. There was the sound of a car's engine being revved up. Megumi heard it then and visibly tensed, her apprehension obvious. Sano did not say anything and just went across the room to peer out the window.

"Is it them?" She whispered.

"Told you this is the first place they'll check," he answered harshly.

"But Takeda doesn't know about this apartment."

"Doesn't he?"

"I just signed the lease papers for this," she started to say but Sano cut her off.

"Where is the nearest fire exit?"

* * *

 _8\. Don't say I told you so._

* * *

 **AN** Hey, all! Thanks for continuing to read this fic. It's almost finished. By the way, I have an AO3 account where I posted a couple of old works, including a tweaked version of Turn the Leaves of Fancy. Check it out if you like.


	9. Chapter 9

**Amateur Night**

 _By lawless_

* * *

Sano stood to one side of the door, holding a wooden lampstand in his right hand. At the sound of the knock, he answered, "Yes?"

There was a slight commotion outside. Muffled voices. And then: "Room service."

Sano stood with his back pressed to the wall beside the door. "Just a second," he said. He kept his grip on the lampstand and set the chain on the latch. Then he turned the doorknob and opened the door to the end of the chain, then flattened himself back against the wall. He heard the wheels of a food cart rearing back and then shoving forward as the man outside put all his weight behind it.

The chain snapped like a string and Hyottoko came charging through the door with Besshimi fast behind him.

Sano timed his first blow perfectly. He stepped out from his protected spot next to the door and smashed Hyottoko squarely in the teeth with the solid base of the wooden lampstand. The big man's remaining two front teeth were shattered. He sucked blood and pieces of tooth back into his throat and stopped dead in his tracks, gagging and trying to cough out the broken teeth.

Besshimi, rushing in fast behind him, couldn't stop and slammed into Hyottoko, sending him crashing into the room service cart. Hyottoko went down hard but Besshimi managed to stay on his feet. He turned to face whoever hit his companion. Sano calmly stepped forward and kicked his right knee. There was a sickening crack and Besshimi was sent crashing to the floor.

Sano turned and saw the third guy. Shikijou was not as large as Hyottoko but his scar-covered physique, partially revealed by the deep V-neck of his t-shirt under a dark gray suit jacket, was frightening. He took one look at Sano and the wooden lampstand in his hand and grinned.

Sano got into a fighting stance. This seemed only to deepen Shikijou's amusement. Back in the room, Besshimi was trying to get up on one leg. Hyottoko was still sprawled on top of the overturned room service cart. Suddenly, Shikijou charged at Sano. He was so fast, Sano had little time to react. He lashed out with the wooden lampstand to meet Shikijou's charge. He hit him square in the chest, but the man took the blow and fell forward, grabbing Sano's arm and charging right into him.

Sano was slammed backward, Shikijou right after him. The bigger man managed to land a heavy chopping blow to Sano's chest. The force was strong enough to open up Sano's stitches and he shouted in both pain and rage. He swung at Shikijou and smashed the base of the lampstand into his temple. The crack of the blow could be heard in the bedroom. Shikijou was knocked to the side, lost his balance and fell down, disoriented.

Besshimi was now crawling forward, dragging the leg with the broken knee. He swung a fist at Sano, who evaded but not fast enough as he caught a stinging blow to his left ear. He lunged and shoved Besshimi away with a sweep of his arm. The hallway was empty. He rushed down towards the elevator. He reached it just as the doors opened, revealing Takeda Kanryuu inside.

He was alone.

Sano grabbed him by the collar of his mint green suit, twisted his arm up his back and stepped behind him on the elevator. Takeda turned to face him and spat, "YOU FUCK—"

"Call off the dogs, Kanryuu," Sano said lowly, gripping his arm tighter and pushing higher, making the man scream out in pain.

Hyottoko, who had recovered from his fall, and Shikijou were rushing towards them. They stopped when they heard Takeda shout. They hesitated. It was all the time Sano needed as the elevator doors closed.

"You are fucking dead, you know that, right?" Takeda said to him when they were alone.

Sano did not respond as he searched Takeda's body for a concealed weapon. He knew from experience that Takeda wasn't the type to carry. The hussler got all the protection he needed from his cadre of bodyguards and fighters and he rarely, if ever, went out without his _yakuza_ escorts. But Sano suspected that this was no _yakuza_ excursion. No, this was Takeda's private vendetta, if his bringing along Hyottoko, Besshimi and Shikijou was any indication. These men were not _yakuza_.

Sano found a 9mm Glock 26 in one of Takeda's many pockets and held it up in front of him.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Sure," Sano slipped the gun in his jacket side pocket. He'd have to lose it before he got to the station but it might come in handy.

"You and that bitch doctor –"

Sano shoved him hard against the elevator wall, using his body weight to press him against the cold metal, his forearm applying pressure against his nape. "Call her bitch one more time. I dare ya."

After some length, Takeda made some odd noises and it took Sano a while to realize that he was laughing. Sano loosened his grip on him and Takeda continued to chuckle. He said, "God, you poor, miserable fool."

The elevator reached the lobby, and Sano had to act casual. He kept a firm grip on Takeda's shoulder as he guided him across the lobby.

"Do you really think you can get away with this, you fucker?"

"Shut your mouth," Sano snapped.

"You should have gone down when I told you so. That's your fucking problem."

"I said shut your fucking mouth." Sano spied Megumi coming in through the main doors, carrying a tray of coffee in one hand and a small brown bag in the other. Breakfast. She had gone out for breakfast. Thank god they didn't catch her first.

She spotted them at once. At the sight of Takeda Kanryuu, she visibly stilled, but she kept her composure. She strode towards them. Sano looked at her tense, beautiful face and admired her courage.

"Darling, look who I found," Sano greeted, keeping a firm grip on Takeda's shoulder. "It's our old friend."

Megumi smiled tightly. "Hello, Takeda-san. What a surprise." She caught Sano's gaze questioningly.

Sano kept it all in, his face never revealing anything but his eyes spoke volumes. A warning. "I say we should take him back to that coffee shop, talk about old times."

"I should get something from –" Megumi started but Sano interrupted her.

"Nah, it's alright. I got your purse right here. We should go." Sano stood, pulling Takeda along with him. As he did, he leaned into Megumi as though to kiss her on the cheek, but instead he whispered, " _We leave. Now."_

* * *

Sano bagged his head and pushed him down. Takeda's face connected with the cement ground and he grunted in pain as Sano roughly tied his wrists together with Takeda's own belt. When he was finished, he left him there and stepped over his prone body towards a nearby trashcan. He fished something out of his pocket. There was a clang as the heavy metal object reached the bottom. Then he wiped his hands along the sides of his jeans and made his way to the station.

He reached the platform and scanned the crowd for a familiar figure. He heard someone step behind and he whirled around, half-expecting Hyottoko or Shikijou, but it was only Megumi.

"Is it over?" She asked.

He nodded. His heart was in his throat.

She studied his face for a moment. "Are you okay?"

He nodded again and shoved his hands in his pockets. They talked. The sound was drowned out by the train arriving. They both got on, moving in unison towards the seats in the back. Others filed in as well. The train began to move.

Sano let Megumi take the window seat and he folded himself on the seat next to hers. There was a third seat beside the ones they occupied but no one dared to come near the bruised and bloodied man and his woman.

It was a bright day. Warm but not hot. The city seemed to be finally cooling down from summer's heat.

* * *

"Now what?"

"I made a promise."

"Is that all there is to it?"

"No."

"You're not going to tell me what happened?"

"No. It's over."

"It's over with me too?"

"No, it's not over with you."

"Why? You going to stay and take care of me?"

"You can take care of yourself."

"You think so, huh?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

"I guess."

"When?"

"What do you mean, 'when'?"

"When? When will I see you around?"

"Name it."

"Six months."

"All right. Six months."

"Where will I find you?"

"I'll find you."

* * *

 _9\. Any way the wind blows._

* * *

 **AN** The end.


End file.
